Gutter devices adapted for rotating out of the water channeling position to an open position are known in the prior art. The U.S. Pat. No. 4,446,658 to Gouin, issued May 8, 1984, discloses a hinged gutter construction adapted for folding underneath the horizontal eve surface of a building. One embodiment of the Gouin gutter device includes rigid structural walls defining a generally U-shaped trough portion and a hinge is disposed on the vertical back wall.
The Gouin gutter device is deficient in that the down-spout pipes which conduct water to the ground must be removed prior to rotating open the gutter device. This results from the hinge being located on the vertical back wall which causes the entire bottom wall to rotate about the hinge. Because the down-spouts adjoin the gutter device at the bottom wall, disconnection of the down-spout pipe and the bottom wall is necessary prior to rotating the gutter open. This disconnection is extremely impractical as the down-spout pipes are usually attached to the building. Additionally, the gutter device shown in Gouin requires a horizontal eve surface for sheltering and supporting the gutter device when rotated open. It will be readily appreciated that not every building includes a horizontal eve surface adjacent the roof edge. Therefore, in addition to the down-spout disconnection problem, the Gouin gutter is not versatile for adaptation to a wide variety of building eve designs.